Three Can Keep A Secret
by IfweDieYoung
Summary: Percy has a secret he's kept for a while, tonight is the night to tell George. Part of the Tribute to Fred Weasley Challenge.  JK Rowling owns all characters and the Harry Potter series, I do not claim to


Percy sat slumped in the corner with two bottles of Firewhisky, one already empty the other cradled in his arms halfway there. He was singing an off key version of the first Sorting Hat song he ever heard which was occasionally interrupted when he took a long drink from the bottle. Tears were unconsciously free falling past his glasses and cascading down his cheeks.

Audrey came in the kitchen wearing only one of Percy's old t-shirts and a pair of his boxers. She flicked on the lights and Percy winced hiding his eyes in his knees. "Please shut it off, Audrey?" He pleaded like a small child.

"Oh my God," she said looking at the dismay that was her husband. "Where the Hell did you get those?" She asked picking up the empty bottle of Firewhisky at his feet.

"The Hog's Head is open into the wee hours of the morning could you go get me some more?" He asked rolling onto his back where he promptly began making snow angles without snow.

"No, I will not, Percy Weasley get off the floor right now!" She said trying her best to sound commanding. She was the more reserved of the couple and the youngest of her family so she was never that demanding to anyone.

"Please get me some more, Audrey," he whined as he poured the rest into his mouth and swallowed it with a satisfied moan. "It burns, but it feels so nice." He said rolling over and over stomach then back pressed on the cold linoleum floor.

"Sure, Percy," she rolled her eyes and with a pop she was gone.

"My wife is going to get me more alcohol." He sang rolling around. He looked at their cat, Shisky. "Did you hear that, Shisky? I'm getting more Firewhisky, yum, yum, yum!"

Soon he heard another loud pop and he got up running to where he heard the sound. Running however was too much for his alcohol filled body and he tripped falling into arms he didn't recognize as his wife's. "Who's this?" He asked he shifted his glasses slightly but it didn't help right his spinning world. "Bill?" He asked pressing his palm against the ginger man's face. He felt three scars across the face. "Bill!" He cried with delight swinging an arm around his brother's neck. "What's up Billy old pal? How's it hanging?"

Suddenly his world was spinning much faster than before and he was thrown across a hard wood floor. He rolled for a while before standing up unsteadily and promptly vomiting all over the floor.

He heard murmured apologies and felt a cool washrag against his forehead and smelt his mother's perfume which sent him into another bout of vomiting. Suddenly a bucket was stuck in his lap and a large calloused hand was rubbing his back. "Hi Charlie," Percy hiccupped.

"What the Hell were you thinking, Perce?" Charlie pried gently as he rubbed his younger brother's back rhythmically.

"I need to tell George something," he said wiping tears off his glasses. "And you guys always talk about how easy it is to tell people stuff when you're drunk, even you're deepest darkest secrets. So I-" Percy hurled into the bucket but Charlie didn't seem to mind. "So I got drunk, but then I forgot for a while, but now I remember. Spontaneous of me, huh? Little Brown Nose Percy gets drunk. Thirty years old and I've never ever gotten drunk." Percy sniffed.

Then Percy broke an unwritten rule between his brothers by resting his head on Charlie's muscled shoulder. Charlie kept rubbing his back unsure of what else to do. The men of the Weasley house didn't show affection minus a pat or rub on the back, or the occasional hug; the only boys ever to show affection were Fred and George and the only few times they just held hands.

"You know what, Perce?" Charlie asked. "I'll clear Mum out, get Bill and Fleur back to Shell Cottage and bring George in here for you, okay?"

Percy hiccupped and then nodded. When Charlie left he curled into a ball on the couch trying to protect himself from the world. He heard his brothers' low grumbled voices and then he felt Charlie's hand on his shoulder, "You can tell him now okay? I'll leave and it'll just be you and him, everyone's up in bed."

Percy opened his eyes and saw a very scruffy looking version of his younger brother. George had dark stubble all over his chin and upper lip, his red hair turned coppery and was now well past his ears. "I'm sorry I caused a fuss." Percy said looking at his brother.

George shrugged indifferently not looking at his brother. Percy sat up. "Look at me George, look me in the eyes." George starred his brother in the eye his green eyes that were usually bright with excitement the corners turned up with a smile were now glassy and angry looking.

Percy's tears started up all over again and he went over to his brother pulling him so he could give him a hug. They were both half naked, George wearing pajama bottom and Percy in just his underwear so it was a little awkward for both brothers but Percy didn't seem to care for the moment. "You don't know how many nightmares haunt me George."

"He was just your brother, Percy, just your brother. He was my twin, half of me, my perfect other." These were the first words George had spoken to him since. "You don't know how much I wish it was me. You don't know how much I wish he was alive. You've escaped with Audrey, you don't have to worry. Our family is falling to pieces over here. This is the first time I've come out of my room in weeks. Mum cries all the time for no reason and Dad hasn't smiled since. Ginny tries to coax me out of the room and when I don't come out she screams at me that I'm making to big of a deal. Ron is the only one that seems to be able to handle this."

"You don't think it haunts me too, Georgie? Hmm? Just because I'm gone doesn't mean I forget. I was so worried about Ron because he was only 17. I pushed him out of the way even though I was looking at Fred. Ron was safe, I should've saved Fred but I didn't. Do you know how hard that is to live with? Everyday I know that whatever is happening here, to you, is all my fault because I should've grabbed him." Both brothers were crying now and George pulled his brother into another hug.

Too brothers grieving for the same thing; brothers when growing up barely spoke. Percy always thought Fred and George were born to annoy him. He never thought that one day it would be his fault that one was dead and the other was in a serious depression. George always thought he would never have to deal with his older brother, he could just pretend he didn't exist; now they were crying in each others arms. Fred looked down upon his brothers that night; looked down and smiled at their childish behavior. Fred was all right, Fred was excellent in fact and they were making a big fuss all over it. "You know if I could I would come down and kick you in the rear myself." He laughed.

Two brothers that from the time they were old enough to realize it wanted nothing to do with each other. Two brothers now stood in their best with the rest of their family looking at the large memorial they had constructed for their brother. A large Weasley's Wizard Wheezes sign painted over with a large picture of their brother; there was a list of his best pranks as well as a paragraph from everyone about their favorite memory with Fred.

Two brothers kept a secret for a lifetime; a secret that three shared. They say that three can keep a secret if two are dead, but in this case it seems, three can keep a secret if it's about the one that's dead.


End file.
